Paint roller



Aug. 30, 1966 M. MELNYCK 3,268,943

PAINT ROLLER Filed June 1, 1964 I NV EN TOR. M/CHflEZ Mil/V7676 United States Patent 3,268,943 PAINT ROLLER Michael Melnyclr, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Crofton Plastics, Inc, Byron, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,383 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-541) This invention relates to paint rollers. More particularly, this invention relates to a paint roller of the type having a hollow handle fabricated of a pliable material and forming a paint receptacle, including an improved roller structure providing a better distribution of paint on the surface to be painted.

Many types of paint rollers are presently in existence. Many of these paint rollers are of the type wherein they are rolled or dipped in a pan or tray, the roller absorbing a quantity of paint for rolling on to the surface to be painted. This is a time-consuming procedure and often results in paint dripping and messy conditions generally. Attempts have been made to improve this situation through the provision of an apparatus which includes the paint in a pliable handle, the pliable handle squeezed to provide paint to the roller. However, such structures have also been unsatisfactory. First of all, paint is at times not distributed evenly to the roller surface, causing unevenness in the application of paint. Additionally, continuous squeezing of the handle often causes deterioration in the structure, necessitating premature discarding thereof.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved paint roller of the type described, capable of assuring that paint supplied from the handle is evenly distributed to a layer of paint absorbent material along the roller surface.

A further object of this invention is the provision of such a structure including a sleeve of fabric material covering the layer of paint absorbent material.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an improved connection between the roller surface and the handle forming the paint receptacle.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanyin g drawin g, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint roller apparatus incorporating the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner in which the roller is connected to the handle forming a paint receptacle;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the roller structure, certain parts thereof being broken away and certain parts shown in phantom to better illustrate the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sleeve comprising an aspect of this invention.

Briefly, this invention relates to a paint roller apparatus having a hollow handle fabricated of pliable material and forming a paint receptacle. A rigid tube communicates with the handle, the tube including a reverse turn and a portion spaced from and lying generally perpendicular to the handle. This portion of the tube is apertured and an apertured roller is rotatably mounted thereon. A layer of absorbent material covers the roller and a sleeve of fabric material covers this layer of absorbent material.

In a more limited aspect of the invention, the rigid tube described is secured to a threaded cap, the cap having a shoulder. The handle has a mating shoulder and a threaded neck, the top of the cap and its shoulder engaging the top of the neck and the mating shoulder respectively when the cap and the neck are threaded together forming a seal. In a still more limited aspect of the invention, the rigid tube is chromium plated.

3,268,943- Patented August 30, 1966 Referring more specifically to the drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates a paint roller apparatus embodying the teachings of this invention (FIG. 1). The apparatus 1 includes a hollow handle 2, a cap 10, a rigid tube 25 and a roller apparatus 30.

The hollow handle 2 forms a paint receptacle, and is fabricated of a pliable material, such as plastic. Upon squeezing the pliable handle 2, paint therein will be forced through the threaded neck 3 (FIG. 2) and through the rigid tube 25. A shoulder is formed below the neck .3, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

The cap 10 is also preferably formed from a pliable material, and is formed to include a shoulder 11, with a threaded portion 12 adjacent thereto. The top 20 of the cap 10 is U-shaped in cross-section and is formed to include a groove 13 formed by a cylindrical flange 15 extending from the bight 16 generally parallel to legs 17 and 18 (FIG. 2) and spaced therefrom. Top 20 also has an opening 14 generally near its center. It will now be seen that the threaded neck 3 receives the cap 10, the shoulders 5 and 11 formed such that they engage one another when the cap is tightly secured in position, the top 4 of the neck 3 engaging the groove 13 at this time. This forms an especially effective seal to prevent paint from leaking from the receptacle. Additionally, when the operator twists the cap 10 tightly on the neck 3, the

shoulders prevent cracking and associated damage of the cap as the operator twists the cap to form an effective seal.

The rigid tube is firmly affixed. to the top of the cap 10, communicating with the opening 14 for passage of paint therethrough. According to one aspect of this invention, the rigid tube is chromium plated for proper durability within the combination. The tube 25 includes a reverse bend 26, allowing a portion 27 to lie spaced from and generally perpendicular to the handle itself (FIGS. 1 and 3). Apertures 28 are formed along the straight portion 27 of tubes 25.

In the embodiment shown, a pair of disks 31 rotatably mounted on tube 25 support the roller apparatus 30. The roller apparatus includes a rigid cylindrical member 32, the surface of which includes a plurality of closely spaced apertures 33, is frictionally secured to the disks 31. The apertured cylindrical roller 32 may be constructed of metal, plastic, phenolic resin-impregnated paper or similar material. A layer of absorbent material 34, such as felt, mohair or the like, but preferably of urethane foam plastic, is secured to the surface of the roller 32. It will thus be seen that when the hollow handle is squeezed, the paint is forced through the tube 25, through the apertures 28 therein, through the apertures 33 in the roller 32, and into the absorbent layer 34.

A sleeve of fabric material, preferably a knitted fabric, is then secured over the layer of absorbent material 34. The sleeve 35 includes open ends 36, and is secured to the roller apparatus as follows. The apertured roller 32 with its covering of absorbent material 34 is inserted into the sleeve 35 just described (FIGS. 3 and 4). The ends 36 thereof are then tucked into the interior of the hollow roller 32. The disks 31 are then frictionally positioned in the ends of the roller 32, afiixing the sleeve 36 in position. The roller apparatus is then slid on to the straight portion 27 of the rigid tube 25, the stop 24 positioning one of the disks and the screw 29 completing the assembly and holding the roller apparatus for rotation about the portion 27 of the tube 25.

With the addition of the sleeve 35 to the combination shown and described, even distribution of paint on the surface to be painted is assured. In the past, structures not including such a sleeve exhibited inherent disadvantages. Paint emitted from the apertures 28 went unevenly through the apertures 33 in the roller 32. When 0 the absorbent material was rolled along the surface to be painted, paint was not evenly applied because of this fact. However, the sleeve 35 is characterized by being a fabric such that before paint is rolled on the surface, it is held sufficiently so that it spreads evenly through the absorbent material 34 before being emitted through the sleeve 35 and on to the surface to be painted.

It will be seen that this invention has provided an improved paint roller apparatus, utilizing a sleeve efiectively to improve the operations of paint rollers of this general type. Additionally, a proper connection between the rolling apparatus and the paint receptacle has been provided. Advantages have been gained, yet a simplified structure has been retained.

While only one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it may be possible to practice the invention through the utilization of certain other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Such other embodiments form a part of this invention unless the following claim specifically states otherwise.

I claim:

A paint roller apparatus comprising: a hollow bottle like handle fabricated of pliable material and forming a paint receptacle, said handle having a threaded neck of reduced diameter and a shoulder adjacent thereto; a rigid tube communicating with said handle; a one piece cylindrical cap secured to said tube; said cap having at least two cylindrical portions, one for receiving the threaded neck and the other for receiving a portion of said handle adjacent said neck; said one threaded neck receiving cylindrical portion being secured to said tube and having a U-shaped cross-section; the other handle receiving cylindrical portion in cross-section including a first flange extending radially outwardly from the extremities of the legs of said U-shaped portion and a second flange extending perpendicular from the extremities of said first flange in a direction opposite from said U-shaped neck receiving portion; a cylindrical flange extending from the bight of the said U-shaped neck receiving portion of said cap in the same direction and parallel to the legs thereof, said cylindrical flange being spaced from the legs to tightly receive therebetween the threaded neck of said handle; said legs of said U-shaped portion having threads on their inner surface for receiving the threaded neck of said handle, said second flange tightly receiving said portion of said handle adjacent said threaded neck with said shoulder of said handle abutting against said first flange; said tube including a reverse turn and a portion spaced from and lying generally perpendicular to said handle; said portion of said tube being apertured; an apertured roller rotatably mounted on said portion on said tube; a layer of absorbent material covering said roller.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 677,851 7/1901 Booth 15-608 1,082,934 12/193 1 Coriell 15608 2,726,417 12/1955 Rowser et al. 15541 2,932,045 4/1960 Rabelow 15-543 FOREIGN PATENTS 604,542 9/ 1960 Canada. 1,164,203 5/1958 France.

868,894 5/1961 Great Britain.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

